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Survey: Painkillers Bigger Problem Than Alcohol
By Pat Anson, Editor-May 03, 2016r
Click For Pain News Network Article





A new poll is likely to add further fuel to the fire over the abuse of prescription painkillers.

The survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that two-thirds of Americans consider the abuse of opioid pain medication an extremely or very serious problem.

Four out of ten said they knew someone who was addicted to prescription painkillers, very often a close friend or family member.The problem is so serious that more Americans now consider painkiller abuse a bigger problem than alcohol abuse (66% vs. 57%), even though four times as many Americans die from alcohol related causes than from opioids.

Nearly 19,000 Americans died from prescription opioids in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The National Institutes of Health estimates 88,000 people die annually from alcohol related causes.

Alcohol misuse is estimated by NIH to cost the U.S. economy nearly $250 billion annually, while the “economic burden” of opioid abuse was estimated by the DEA at $53 billion in 2011.

The Kaiser Foundation poll comes in the middle of an election season, as the White House and Congress consider various funding measures to address the so-called epidemic of opioid abuse and addiction.

The survey found that a large majority of Americans believe federal and state governments, doctors, and individuals who use prescription opioids are not doing enough to fight opioid addiction. Only about a third said police officers weren’t doing enough to enforce drug laws, a sign that many Americans don’t consider opioid abuse a law enforcement issue.

Asked which policy efforts would be very or somewhat effective in reducing opioid abuse, over eight in ten said doctors and medical students should have better training in pain management and that there should be increased access to addiction treatment programs.

Less than half said putting warning labels on prescription opioids explaining risk of addiction would be effective. Respondents were not asked if access to opioid pain medication should be reduced.

Policies Rated Very or Somewhat Effective in Fighting Opioid Abuse

88% Increase pain management training
86% Increase access to addiction treatment
84% Public education and awareness programs
83% Increase research about pain and pain management
82% Monitor doctors’ prescribing habits
63% Encourage disposal of extra pain meds
60% Reduce stigma of opioid addiction
48% Put addiction warning labels on opioid bottles

Putting the issue in perspective, while most Americans consider painkiller abuse a serious problem, the issue ranks behind several other health problems such as cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

Health Problems Considered Extremely or Very Serious

86% Cancer
78% Diabetes
74% Lack of access to mental healthcare
73% Obesity
72% Heart disease
71% Contaminated drinking water
70% Heroin abuse
66% Painkiller abuse
61% Lack of access to healthcare
57% Environmental contamination
57% Alcohol abuse
54% Lack of access to affordable food

The Kaiser Foundation survey was conducted in mid-April in a random telephone sample of 1,201 American adults. The poll is estimated to have a sampling error of 3 percent.

To see the complete results of the Kaiser poll, CLICK HERE.




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